WHO WE ARE

Pacific School of Religion’s (PSR) mission is to prepare a diverse cadre of spiritually rooted leaders with the vision, resilience, and skill to create a world where all can thrive. Founded in 1866, Pacific School of Religion is a progressive Christian seminary, graduate school, and center for leadership development and social justice. Located at the top of “Holy Hill” in Berkeley, CA, PSR is steeped in the history, community, and culture of the San Francisco Bay Area. We’re an early member of the Graduate Theological Union (GTU), the most comprehensive center for the graduate study of religion in North America. With a focus on interreligious and interdisciplinary perspectives, the GTU engages the world’s great religions and wisdom traditions in contemporary contexts. PSR students can take classes across GTU’s schools and access the shared library and other resources.

PSR transforms individuals and communities through a flexible, stackable curriculum and a collaborative learning ecosystem powered by diversity. Guided by a dedicated 16-member Board of Trustees and a faculty and staff of 46 employees, PSR enrolls over 150 students annually and boasts 3,400 alumnx who have embarked on paths of meaningful impact. Grounded in the rigorous study and faithful practice of progressive Christian faith, we partner with students of all backgrounds to deepen their spirituality and enhance their capacity to lead in transformative ways. Connected to a broad network of religious, educational, not-for-profit, and private sector organizations— with a particular commitment to the wisdom of historically marginalized communities—PSR offers educational opportunities marked by innovation, reflection, and excellence. While non-denominational, PSR maintains partnership with the United Church of Christ, the United Methodist Church, and the Disciples of Christ. PSR is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).

For more information, please visit: Leading Progressive Christian Seminary and Graduate School – Pacific School of Religion

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

Our Commitment to Radical Inclusion: PSR has forged a theological education devoted to a radically inclusive gospel. That means we welcome students with diverse theological views and racial and cultural backgrounds, new college grads as well as second-career professionals, LGBTQ+ students, families with children, and people with disabilities. That also means we don’t tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, or xenophobia.

As a majority people-of-color community, from the Board to our student body, we’re fiercely committed to being an anti-racist institution. We believe our strength comes through the diversity of our backgrounds, experiences, and expertise. As part of that commitment, we focus on developing coursework, outreach programs, formation events, and thought leadership addressing racism as a core commitment. We seek to find a balance between empowerment and resilience in every touch point to form and prepare students to lead communities that are transformative, anti-racist, anti-homophobic, and anti-xenophobic. Our goal is to become a “go-to” destination for communities of color to feature and develop their wisdom-based leadership, attracting recognized leaders of color and identifying rising leaders who are effective, but whose work may be marginalized by racist practices.

Leadership: Rev. Dr. David Vásquez-Levy serves as President of PSR. A nationally recognized leader and a sought after speaker, he leads at the intersection of faith, higher education, and social change. Vásquez-Levy is committed to innovation and access in theological education and leadership formation. He serves on the board of the Graduate Theological Union and is Chair of the board of Church World Service, one of the largest ecumenical development agencies in the world. He is co-founder for La Colectiva, a group of Latino/a executive leaders at ATS schools and is a member of the executive leaders group of AshokaU campus network and the Asociación para La Educación Teológica Hispana (AETH). Vásquez-Levy has lived in four countries, including working on refugee resettlement in Canada, and taught courses and led international study and service trips across the globe.

The Director of Development reports to the Executive Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships, Michelle Estrellado, a seasoned professional with 16 years of dedicated experience in higher education. Prior to joining PSR, Michelle served as the Dean of Student Affairs at The Art Institute of California – Hollywood where she successfully oversaw all facets of campus life and student affairs, demonstrating exemplary leadership for a diverse student body that included residential, commuter, non-traditional, military, and international students. Michelle’s expertise in higher education, particularly in marketing and admissions, allowed her to cultivate valuable local community relationships, enhancing student engagement and the overall educational experience.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary: $85,000 – $100,000 DOE/neg.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance coverage

LOCATION

This is a hybrid position, with 2-3 days per week on campus: 1798 Scenic Ave, Berkeley, CA 94709

POSITION SUMMARY

We seek an ambitious, experienced professional to join our dedicated team as Director of Development. Reporting to the Executive Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships and partnering closely with PSR’s President, the Director of Development will contribute significantly to our development team. This highly collaborative role will work cross-departmentally at our small, diverse institution, managing the annual fund, leadership annual giving, donor relations, engagement events, and development operations communications.

We are looking for candidates with demonstrated experience working with progressive individuals from highly diverse backgrounds and beliefs, including alumnx and other donors, volunteers, faculty, staff, students, and a variety of departments and centers. The ideal candidate will bring a thoughtful, mission-driven approach to advancing PSR’s goals, including new spiritual leaders who challenge extremist religious voices and champion grace and radical inclusion. This pivotal role supports PSR’s ambitious growth as we prepare to publicly launch the Fearless Campaign in 2025.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Carry a portfolio of 75 – 100 mid-level donors and prospects.
• Work with the Executive Director of Development to identify, research, and create strategies for cultivating and moving donors along the pipeline and meeting fundraising targets.
• Actively participate in implementing and monitoring strategies to achieve goals and respond to departmental and institutional needs.
• Assess, analyze, and evaluate fundraising programs to identify issues and need for change and provide recommendations for modifications and adjustments.
• Manage the Annual Fund strategy and all aspects of the Annual Fund process, including writing, segmenting, producing, mailing, and tracking appeals.
• Utilize data and best practices to create programs for acquisition, retention, and upgrades.
• Provide opportunities and incentives for monthly, payroll, and endowment giving and coordinate fundraising with PSR centers, especially CLGS and Ignite.
• Ensure an effective stewardship plan for donors at all levels that is functional and systematic while also meeting diverse needs of donors.
• Collaborate with the Development team on the annual report and generate the honor roll of donors.
• Manage administrative systems and functions for the Development Department, with the assistance of Development Associate, including gift processing, donor acknowledgements, and reporting.
• Co-manage communications in collaboration with the Communications department to develop and produce online, print, and social media communications, news items, newsletters, and magazine such as monthly e-news and posts for web or social media.
• Ensure that messaging is clear, precise, accurate, compelling, and supports PSR’s mission and values.
• Collaborate on projects with the President’s Office, Business Office, Enrollment and Marketing, Student Life, Academic Affairs, Financial Aid, and other centers and affiliates.
• Stay informed about best practices and current state of the field by collaborating with colleagues, peer institutions, professional groups, conferences and Raiser’s Edge, NXT database.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

• Minimum of three years’ experience in fundraising within higher education or non-profit organizations.
• A passion for our work of preparing spiritually rooted leaders to create a world where all can thrive.
• Commitment to racial, gender, sexual orientation, and economic justice and ability to work effectively in a multicultural and diverse community.
• Ability to connect with a diverse constituency with varying interests, backgrounds, and beliefs.
• Self-starter, highly motivated, and successful at achieving ambitious fundraising targets.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including content creation and public speaking.
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects and priorities with efficiency, give careful attention to detail, and demonstrate organizational and management skills.
• Management, supervision, recruitment, and retention experience with staff and volunteers.
• Experience using social media, online marketing software, website management, and other online tools such as donation platforms, survey tools, and community engagement.
• Strong analytical skills and use of data to drive fundraising, partnership decisions, and forecasting.
• Donor CRM database knowledge and experience.